Electricity and Magnetism I (PHYS*2330)
Code and section: PHYS*2330*01
Term: Fall 2019
Instructor: Eric Poisson
Details
Course Description
This course continues building the foundation in electricity and magnetism begun in the first year and is intended for students proceeding to advanced studies in the physical sciences. Topics include vector calculus, electric fields, potential, electric work and energy, Gauss’s Law, Poisson’s and Laplace’s equations, capacitors, D.C. circuits, transients and dielectric materials.
Timetable
Lectures
Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00am to 11:20am, MacKinnon (MCKN) 121
Tutorials
Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 8:50pm, Macdonald Stewart Hall (MACS) 121
Midterm
Wednesday October 23, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, room TBA
Final Exam
Tuesday December 10, 8:30am. The room will be posted in due course.
Instructional Support
Instructor: Eric Poisson
Email: epoisson@uoguelph.ca
Extension: 53653
Office: MACN 452
Teaching Assistant: Michael Lahaye
Email: mlahaye@uoguelph.ca
Extension: 53840
Office: MACN 401
Teaching Assistant: Robin Coleman
Email: rcolem01@uoguelph.ca
Extension: 53840
Office: MACN 401
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Demonstrate a mastery of Coulomb’s law for the electric field, and apply it to systems of point charges as well as line, surface, and volume distributions of charges.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the relation between electric field and potential, exploit the potential to solve a variety of problems, and relate it to the potential energy of a charge distribution.
- Exploit alternative coordinate systems (cylindrical and spherical coordinates) to solve problems.
- Apply Gauss’s law of electrostatics to solve a variety of problems.
- Apply the tools of vector calculus, and demonstrate a working understanding of the divergence and curl of vector fields, as well as the divergence and curl integral theorems.
- Demonstrate an understanding of electric dipoles and the role of molecular dipoles in the electrostatic response of dielectrics.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the behaviour of electric conductors.
- Reformulate the laws of electrostatics in the form of Laplace’s or Poisson’s equations for the potential, and solve boundary-value problems.
- Demonstrate a working understanding of capacitors.
Evaluation
The final mark for the course will be the highest of the two marks calculated under the following two schemes. No other marking schemes will be considered.
Scheme | Quizzes | Assignments | Comp. Supp. | Midterm | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 5% | 15% | 5% | 35% | 40% |
B | 5% | 15% | 5% | 25% | 50% |
Quizzes will be posted on Courselink, each quiz appearing a few days prior to a specific deadline. Completion of these quizzes by the assigned deadline is mandatory, and the quizzes will be marked to provide 5% of the final mark.
A set of four homework assignments will also be made available on Courselink, to be returned before the assigned due date. A penalty will be applied to any late assignment, and no assignment will be accepted after the tutorial on the following Wednesday. Special arrangements for late submission must be made well ahead of time. Assignments provide 15% of the course’s final mark.
In addition to the homework assignments, there is also a set of three computational supplements that must be completed. These also will be made available on Courselink, and they must also be submitted before the assigned due date. The computational supplements provide 5% of the course’s final mark.
In marking scheme A, the midterm and final exams account for 35% and 40% of the final mark, respectively. In marking scheme B, the midterm and final exams account for 25% and 50% of the final mark, respectively.
Both midterm and final exams will be closed-book exams, meaning that you will not be allowed to consult your notes nor any other source of information. You will, however, be provided with a formula sheet. The formula sheet, as well as practice exams, will be made available on CourseLink. Calculators may be required; only non-programmable pocket calculators are permitted. Personal communication or entertainment devices (such as smart phones or MP3 players) are not permitted during the exams.
Proposed Schedule
The following table provides a rough guide of the material covered during each week of the semester, as well as key information regarding quizzes, tutorials, and assignments. All dates are tentative; check Courselink regularly to get the most updated information. Regular attendance at lectures and tutorials is the best way to ensure that you are up to date on the relevant course material.
All assignments are due at 10am (the start of class).
A tutorial is held each Wednesday, from 7:00pm to 8:50pm, in Macdonald Stewart Hall (MACS) 121.
Week | Material Covered | Activity |
---|---|---|
Sept 5 | Introduction | |
Sept 10, 12 | Electric field; line charge; gradient | Quiz: Electric field Quiz: Gradient |
Sept 17, 19 | Potential; line integrals | Quiz: Potential |
Sept 24, 26 | Work and energy; polar, cylindrical, and spherical coordinates | Quiz: Work Quiz: Coordinates |
Oct 1, 3 | Coordinates (cont); potential and field calculations | Quiz: Field and potential Assign. #1: due Tues. Oct 1 |
Oct 8, 10 | Potential and field calculations (cont); Gauss’s law | Quiz: Gauss’s law Comp. Supp. #1 due |
Oct 17 | Gauss’s law (cont); applications | Assign. #2: due Tues. Oct 16 |
Oct 22, 24 | Applications (cont); divergence and curl | Midterm: Wed. Oct 23, 7pm |
Oct 29, 31 | Equations of electrostatics; dipoles | Quiz: Divergence and curl |
Nov 5, 7 | Dipoles (cont); dielectrics | Quiz: Dipole Assign. #3: due Tues. Nov 5 |
Nov 12, 14 | Conductors; boundary value problems |
Quiz: Laplace and Poisson equations |
Nov 19, 21 | Method of images; capacitors | Quiz: Capacitance Assign. #4: due Tues. Nov 19 |
Nov 26, 28 | Capacitors (cont) | Comp. Supp. #3 due |
Learning Resources
Required Resources
Introduction to Electrodynamics (Textbook)
David J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, Fourth edition (Pearson, 2013)
Recommended Resources
University Physics (Textbook)
H.D. Young and R.A. Freedman, University Physics, 13th edition (Pearson, 2012)
The book by Griffiths is the same book that is used in PHYS*2340 (Electricity and Magnetism II). My lectures will follow the relevant sections of the book, and reading assignments will be given each week to ensure that you keep up with the material. The quizzes will provide even more incentive to keep up with the reading.
The book by Young and Freedman is appropriate at the first-year level; you may want to refer to it from time to time.
University Statements
Email Communication
When You Cannot Meet a Course Requirement
Undergraduate Calendar - Academic Consideration and Appeals
Graduate Calendar - Grounds for Academic Consideration
Associate Diploma Calendar - Academic Consideration, Appeals and Petitions
Drop Date
Undergraduate Calendar - Dropping Courses
Graduate Calendar - Registration Changes
Associate Diploma Calendar - Dropping Courses
Copies of Out-of-class Assignments
Accessibility
Academic Integrity
Recording of Materials
Resources
Disclaimer
Please note: This is a preliminary web course description. The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description. An official course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester and/or posted on Courselink.